Inclosed chain drive



March 17, 1931.

A. F. MAsuRY INCLOSED CHAIN DRIVE Filed Feb. 16, 1929 Mmc/n VOLI lfred? Mama;

Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED F. MASURY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL MOTOR COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TNcEosEn CHAIN DRIVE Application led February 16, 1929. Serial No. 340,465.

The present invention relates to I fourvwheel drives vincluding a driving truck at the rear of a vehicle frame and embodies, more ,5 specifically, an improved mounting for a truck of the above character which utilizes an inclosed chain drive to transmit pow-er from the live axle sections to the independently mounted jack shafts carried by the truck.

1 In certain forms of service, it is highly desirable to increase the traction available in a given standard vehicle and decrease the `load per wheel. Forms of drives have been suggested embodying four driving wheels but these require a considerable amount of redesigning of the chassis. It is very desirable to provide a means for transforming' a standard chassis, having two rear driving wheels, into a chassis having four rear driv- 0 ing wheels, such transformation being acwhich may be applied to, or removed from,

such conventional chassis without requiring the alteration of any part, the resulting fourwheel drive being strongly constructed and easily mounted and dismounted.

Further objects will appear as the invention is described in greater detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein the single figure is a plan View partly in section showing a preferred form of the invention.

Referring to the above drawing, a designates the frame member of al conventional vehicle chassis upon which an axle housing b is mounted through a spring c of cantilever construction. This spring may be secured to the axle housing by bracket b in the usual manner, the axle housing being formed with an annular flange b2 for a purpose to be described hereinufter.

Within the axle housing, a live axle section Z is provided, a collar e being secured thereto and formed with asprocket Wheel f. Upon the axle housing I) and external periphery of hub e, a pivoting housing g is mounted, bearings g being carried between the external periphery of hub e and the housing g. The wheel carrier or housing g is formed of inner and outer hub portions g2 and g3, respectively, spacing members g4 being provided'to secure the two together in a well known manner.

Side Wall g5 are mounted upon the hub sections g and g and, at their ends, carry inner and outer supporting plates h and h', respectively. A jack shaft z' is carried by these plates through suitable bearings h2 and h3, respectively. Sprocket'wheel i is mounted on the jack shaft to receive the links 2 o f a chain connecting the sprocket wheels i and f. The wheel hub y' is mounted on the extremity of jack shaft z' and carried by the plate h through bearing h3. The usual brake drum j is secured to the wheel and a brake operating shaft jg carried-in the housing and .plates k and h.

- A ca k serves as a closure for the plate 71,. and caring h2, being secured thereto by bolts 7c. Under these bolts a radius rod Z is secured, the other end of the rod being secured to a bracket Z formed on a sleeve Z2 which is rotatably mounted upon the axle housing b. This rod and associated parts serve as a reinforcing element to resist the lateral stresses impressed upon the housing during turning of the vehicle.

ln order to secure the housing g to the axle housing b, an annular bracket m is provided. This bracketlis secured to the plate g2 by means of bolts m and is formed with'an inwardly extending flange m? to engage the annular flange b2. In this manner, the housing g `is carried on the axle housing with capacity for pivotal movement, the annular bracket m preventing axiall displacement thereof. 2:

While the invention has been described in connection with the specific construct-ion shown in the accompanying drawing, it is not ttl) be limited, save as defined in theappended c aims.

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I claim as my invention:

1. In a drive for vehicles having an axle housing, a live axle section and a driving means carried thereby, a flange on the axle housing, a carrier pivoted on the housing and adapted to mount a plurality of Wheels, an inner hub portion on the carrier forming a hearing surface, an annular bracket on the carrier secured to the inner hub portion and receiving the iange between lthe bracket and hub portion, a cover plate for the Wheel mounting, and a radius rod secured to the cover plate and rotatably secured to the axle housing.

2. In a drive for'vehicles having an axle A housing, a live axle section and a driving means carried thereby, a flange on the axle housing, a carrier pivoted on the housing and adapted to mount a plurality of Wheels, an inner hub portion on the carrier forming a bearing surface, an annular bracket on the carrier secured to the inner hub portion and formed with a radial inwardly extending flange, the first ange being received between the last named flange and the hub portion,

means to drive the Wheels from the driving means, and a radius rod extending between (one of the Wheel mountings and the axle housing.

This specification signed this 13th day of February, A. D. 1929.

ALFRED F. MASURY. 

